Various fluid dispensing apparatus are well known. However, these devices require extensive handling by an operator to load the fluid, which increases the risk of contamination. In addition, many well-known devices are not capable of dispensing both high and low viscosity material from a cartridge. Finally, many well-known devices do not include sensing and feedback control. Therefore, there is a need for a lightweight and compact dispensing system that has the ability to dispense high or low viscosity material from prefilled cartridge. The novel system can automatically open or close a space to receive the cartridge to reduce handling and can monitor and control the flow rates via feedback from sensing the plunger movement with the cartridge.